


CAUTION - Children at Play

by cleflink



Series: Warning Signs [3]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And also kind of neurotic, Babysitting, Children, Jensen is a klutz, M/M, Timestamp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-23
Updated: 2014-09-23
Packaged: 2018-02-18 13:23:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2349908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cleflink/pseuds/cleflink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen questions his suitability as a babysitter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	CAUTION - Children at Play

**Author's Note:**

> Picking up on my August prompts again, this is for annabuffy, who asked for 'baby-fic/kid-proofing' from FRAGILE - Handle with Care. I'm sorry that I'm a month too late for your birthday, hon, and I hope you had a good one!

"I'm going to break the baby."

"You're not going to break the baby," Jared promised, for about the twentieth time. He smiled at Jensen, who was pacing back and forth across the living room rug like he wanted to wear a hole in it. "Also, Benjamin's going to be very upset if you call him a baby. Three is a very grown-up age, you know."

Jensen shot him an exasperated look. "Could you take this seriously for half a second?" he demanded, because Jared was apparently not contributing enough to this moment of extreme paranoia. "What if I trip while carrying him down the stairs or something?"

Jared very carefully did not sigh. "While I agree that you carrying anything up and down the stairs is a bad idea, that doesn't mean that you being you is going to put Benjamin in danger. Besides, kids are more resilient than you think. How else did you survive to adulthood?"

"It's not the same!" Jensen raked his hands through his hair, mussing the artful spikes. "Oh god, what will I tell your sister if I trip over her kid and kill us both?" 

It was kind of adorable to see Jensen, who treated broken bones the same way most people did paper cuts, so distressed about the idea of someone else getting caught in his blast radius. He'd always been somewhat farcically worried about keeping Jared safe, though, so perhaps it wasn't entirely a surprise. 

Jared was getting heartily sick of this conversation, though.

"Just calm down, Jensen, okay? Kids are supposed to get hurt. Not on purpose," he added, when Jensen arched an eyebrow at him. "It's just a part of growing up. Like chicken pox and eating sand and stuff."

"What kind of childhood did you have?" Jensen muttered.

" _Anyway_ ," Jared said. "All I'm saying is that Benjamin is going to be more capable of surviving your klutziness than you think."

"Does he come with shin pads?" Jensen asked, and he sounded so genuinely hopeful that Jared had to bite his lip hard to keep from laughing.

"He's a little young for contact sports," he said, and watched Jensen's shoulders slump. "But it's still going to be okay, I promise."

Far from being reassured by this, Jensen only looked more anxious. "This isn't an exercise in the power of positive thinking, Jared! Do you know how easily something could go wrong?" He swallowed hard, his face going green. "Oh god, I think I'm going to be sick."

"Look," Jared said, with every ounce of patience he had. "Meg trusts us to look after Benjamin this summer-"

"That's because she's insane."

"-and you said it was okay for him to stay here-"

"That's because _I'm_ insane."

"-and you should have faith that I know what I'm talking about when I say that you're worrying about this way too much."

"Not possible," Jensen said. He levelled a warning finger at Jared. "And don't you dare quote anything I've ever said about your worrying back to me or I won't be responsible for my actions."

Jared gave him a look. "Jensen."

Jensen was too busy flipping his shit to listen. "Fuck. This is crazy. Completely crazy. Why did I ever agree to this?"

"You know why," Jared said quietly.

Jensen's protests died like someone had cut out his tongue; the suddenly stricken look on his face only added to the impression. "Jared-" 

"We're never going to be able to adopt if you're this terrified about your ability to look after a child," Jared continued, because it was Jensen's turn to listen. Jensen bit his lip hard, and Jared gentled his tone slightly as he added, "I thought you wanted this as much as I do, Jensen."

"I do," Jensen said immediately. He reached out for Jared's hand and gripped it tightly. "God, you know I do. I just-"

"You're scared," Jared finished. "And that's okay. But you've gotta give this a chance. Don't just freak out and give up before we've even got started. Please. We both deserve more than that."

Jensen took a deep breath and let it out slowly, obviously trying to calm himself. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Hey," Jared said, tugging him in for a loose hug that Jensen readily returned. "It really is going to be okay. Hell, Benjamin's probably safer here than he is at home. This place is already Jensen-proofed."

Jensen's laugh was forced and thin, but at least he was trying. "You make me sound like a natural disaster."

"If the shoe fits." Jared pressed a gentle kiss to Jensen's lips. "You okay now?"

Jensen's smile was tremulous but genuine. "Close enough."

"Good. And hey, if it's a complete disaster, we can give him back early."

"Practice parenting with a no fault return policy," Jensen said, parroting back one of Jared's many arguments for why this was a good idea.

Jared grinned at him. "I knew you listened sometimes. We're not gonna need though." 

"No? Why not?"

"Because we're going to be great practice parents and we're going to make sure that Benjamin has an amazing, completely accident-free summer."

Jensen waited.

Jared sighed. "And because we're gonna buy him a crash helmet just in case."

And there was the smile Jared liked to see. "I can work with that."

~fin


End file.
